TSMC executive says talks on possible plant in Germany continue

TAIWAN Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC) executive Kevin Zhang told reporters on Tuesday (May 23) that talks over a possible plant in Germany are continuing, and that the earliest decision would be in August.

“I don’t want to get into the politics side of the thing, but I do think that there is a need for us to provide our customers with a diverse supply,” he said, adding that Europe is a “very significant geography given the customer base ... (and) the demand”.

Zhang did not confirm the size of subsidy or cost of the potential project or which companies might be participating.

Earlier this month, it was reported that the Taiwanese chipmaker was in talks with partners to invest as much as 10 billion euros (S$145.2 billion) to build a chip fabrication plant in Germany. REUTERS